5 Disgusting Things That Happen To Your Body Every Time You Overeat

Biryani, kheema, kofta curry – it’s almost impossible to exert self-control when it comes to your favorite foods. All of us overeat from time to time, but when this becomes a regular habit, it leads to weight gain and causes a lot of other health problems.

But what actually happens to your body when you overeat?

Here’s What Happens To Your Body After You Overeat

You’ve just wolfed down an entire pizza, washed it down with a large coke and then followed it up with a chocolate brownie. Your pleasure is quickly replaced with guilt as you realize that you’ve probably eaten enough calories to last you two days in just one meal! Here’s what will happen to your body after you’ve stuffed yourself.

Your Stomach Swells & Hurts

“Overeating makes your stomach swell temporarily so that it pushes against the other organs within your abdominal cavity”

By the time you manage to tear yourself away from your plate, you feel like your belly is about to explode and your tummy hurts. Contrary to popular belief, overeating does not make your stomach stretch permanently, but it does cause it to temporarily swell and it can even push against the other organs within the abdominal cavity – which is obviously not a good thing!

You Get Super Sleepy

“A large meal, especially one that is high in carbs, causes your insulin levels to skyrocket, which makes you sleepy and lethargic”

Blood sugar levels go up as your body digests your meals, which then makes your body produce more insulin to get rid of the excess sugar. High levels of insulin are linked to sleepiness, so when you have a large meal, especially one that is high in carbs, your insulin levels skyrocket and you feel drowsy to the point of being comatose!

You Feel Bloated & Gassy

Our bodies have trouble digesting certain foods like dal, beans, and cabbage and this causes a buildup of gas within the intestines. When you overeat, your body takes longer to digest such a large amount of food, which leads to more gas, which in turn leads to you feeling full and bloated for hours. If you eat quickly or if you drink fizzy drinks along with your food, this problem will be a lot worse.

You Get Severe Acidity

“Your stomach produces gastric acids to help you digest your food so the more you eat, the more acid your body produces”

You’re Hungry Again Within A Few Hours

“Overeating causes a spike in insulin levels; unfortunately, once that spike crashes in a couple of hours you start to experience stronger food cravings”

You’ve had such a large lunch that you wonder if you’ll have to skip dinner and yet a few hours later you’re ravenous and ready for round 2! This is because your large meal caused a spike in insulin levels which lasted for a couple of hours and then crashed. Since insulin plays a dominant role in the regulation of food intake, you start to feel hungry within hours of your ginormous meal!

Our Advice

DON’T LIE DOWN! Lying down is about the worst thing you can do right now as it will only slow down your digestive process even further; so even though you don’t want to move, force yourself to go for a slow walk. You can also sip on a glass of chaas, as this will aid digestion and also reduce acidity and bloating. You can also try yoga postures like the pawanmuktasana or the wind relieving pose, as this will help to get rid of excessive gas and make you feel a little more comfortable.

Overeating can ruin your health, especially if you make it a habit. Don’t beat yourself up if you overeat once in a while and don’t use it as a reason to ditch your diet plan. Remember just how awful your body feels after overeating and keep this in mind the next time you are tempted to stuff your face silly!

TheHealthOrange Editorial Team curates genuine health advice covering all aspects of holistic living, with painstaking effort to ensure that only the best content is published on the platform for your consumption.